Proofreading Guidelines and Techniques

The following video offers a set of starting guidelines for proofreading. (Note: this video has a jazzy soundtrack but no dialogue, so it can be viewed without sound.)

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The additional strategies below can also help you spot errors in your writing:

Printer Print a hard copy of your document. Reading on paper is different from reading electronically, so you’ll catch errors on paper you hadn’t noticed before.
Ruler Put a ruler under each line as you read through the document. This technique will isolate lines, making it easier to spot mistakes. Some writers also like to use a pencil to point at each word.
Road SIgn Read through the paper backwards sentence by sentence. This reverse reading technique puts the focus on the words, sentences, and punctuation marks rather than on the ideas.
Two sets of eyes; one red and one blue Ask a classmate or friend to read the document. Two sets of eyes are better than one.

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